Putin warns West of possible military retaliation over NATO aggression

Putting the blame on Western nations for escalating tensions in Europe, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday warned in a stern speech that Russia would respond “adequately” to any act of Western aggression. In a televised meeting with senior military officials, Putin stressed, “If our Western counterparts continue a clearly aggressive line, we will undertake proportionate military-technical countermeasures and will respond firmly to unfriendly steps.”

Putin’s warning comes at a time when Russia has been pushing for legal security guarantees from NATO, against the backdrop of troop buildup along the Ukraine border. A few days earlier, on December 17, the Russian Foreign Ministry released a couple of draft documents on the provision of legal security guarantees from the US and its allies in NATO, which Russia claims is essential for peace in the region as Western nations have failed to live up to their verbal commitments.

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According to Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, the US and NATO have around 8,000 troops posted along Russian borders, and frequently mount reconnaissance flights using strategic bombers, thereby posing a security risk to Russia. Further, NATO’s attempt to reach out to the Ukrainian army has not gone down well with Russia, and Putin has described it as an act of “arming and urging on extremists.” The Russian President was also quick to point out the deployment of US missile systems close to Russia’s borders, specifying that Romania and Poland would soon have the capability to launch US Tomahawk missiles.

Russia’s demands include barring Ukraine from joining NATO and assurances that no Western troops or weapons will be deployed on Ukrainian soil. While Russia has claimed that it has no intention to invade Ukraine, despite reportedly having deployed over 100,000 troops along its borders, it is understood that Moscow wants to ensure that NATO does not expand eastwards.

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However, following his warning to the West, Putin reiterated that Russia was seeking a peaceful resolution to the issue at hand, saying, “Armed conflicts and bloodshed are absolutely not something we would choose, we do not want such a scenario.”

It is understood that Moscow and Washington are already in contact over Russia’s demands, and a senior Russian diplomat has told Al Jazeera that hopes are high that an agreement will be reached between the two countries.